I Care
by Chounette
Summary: [SPD] He didn’t even say goodbye... SkyJack. [One shot]


**Title:** I Care  
**Fandom:** Power Rangers SPD   
**Pairing:** One-sided Sky/Jack  
**Rating:** G  
**Word Count:** 751  
**Disclaimer:** _Power Rangers SPD_ belongs to Disney. I only own the plot.  
**Notes:** The dialogue in the first part is ripped right off _Endings part 2_. Written at 11:30 at night and seemed great at the time, but now I'm not so sure. This is my first PR slash fic. Edited on March 25th, 2006.  
**Warning:** **Slash**.  
**Summary:** He didn't even say goodbye...

* * *

"Rangers, I called you together to hear this: Jack Landors has left SPD." Commander Cruger stood solemnly in front of the B-Squad as he told them the news.

"He _resigned_?" Bridge couldn't believe his ears.

"But _why_?" Syd asked, shocked. "He didn't even say goodbye!" 

"Doesn't surprise me," Z said. "When something's over, he's gone."

Sky felt numb, a buzzing filling his ears. He answered almost robotically at Cruger asking if he would follow Syd into battle if she became the Red Ranger, and had little reaction when the morpher he had desired for so long was presented to him.

_He didn't even say goodbye..._

* * *

"Hey!" Z passed her armful of yellow clothes to Ally before hugging Jack.

"You guys need some clothes?" Bridge asked, gesturing to the pile of green clothing he wouldn't need anymore, having been promoted to Blue Ranger.

Jack took the clothes from Sky and Bridge. "Guys, thanks!" He put them into the back of the truck.

"Yeah, you might have left SPD, but… you're not leaving our lives." Sky smiled at his former leader, his stomach churning uncomfortably. _I don't_ want _you to leave our my life._

Z grinned. "Well, brother... Guess we both get to do something bigger." Jack smiled back.

Someone cleared their throat as they approached. "Hello there."

The Rangers opened wide eyes, obviously surprised but nevertheless looking amused. "Piggy? What are you doing here?" Sky asked in disbelief.

Piggy put an arm around Ally's shoulder, but Jack immediately knocked it off. "Oh, didn't Jack tell you? I've gone into business with him and Ally."

The Rangers' morphers went off. Sky cocked his head in Jack's direction as if asking permission, while the others stared at their new leader, awaiting his next move.

Jack nodded, smiling. "Go for it."

Sky returned the smile. "Ready?"

Syd, Bridge and Z nodded. "Ready." 

They took out their morphers. "SPD! Emergency!"

* * *

Once they were done dealing with the trouble, Sky parted from his teammates and soon found himself going back to where Jack was loading empty boxes and clothes racks into the Samuels' Clothing truck. He was alone, Ally and Piggy nowhere to be found.

The newly appointed Red Ranger approached carefully. "Hey." 

Jack turned and jumped off the truck. "Hey. Done with the troublemakers?"

"Yeah." He nodded absently, looking around. "So, you get to do what you love again." 

"Yup." Jack stopped in front of his former teammate, grinning. "And you get to be who you wanted to be since you were a kid. How does it feel to be the Red Ranger... for real this time?"

Sky bit his lip. "Honestly? It does feel great, but it's still... weird, you know? I was used to wearing blue, and when I take into account all the things you've done as the Red Ranger... I feel the bar, the level to reach is kind of high."

"Oh, I'm sure you'll do fine." Jack punched his shoulder gently. "You're twice the Ranger I ever was."

Sky stared at him, his blue eyes a few shades darker. "That's not true, Jack. We're all as good as each other. And we can't compare fairly, given that we all have our own strengths and different powers..."

They lapsed into a comfortable but slightly awkward silence as Jack, with some help from Sky, finished packing up so they were ready to go once Ally and Piggy were back from… wherever they had disappeared to.

"You know, Sky, you've really changed. You're not the cocky guy I met when I first came to SPD." Jack surveyed him with an indescribable look in his eyes.

He shrugged off the compliment disguised as an observation. "I guess we've all changed for the better."

"Yeah." Jack nodded in agreement, the corners of his mouth curling upward. They finished loading up the truck.

Finally Sky voiced what was on his mind and made up part of the reason he'd come back to see his friend. "I really meant what I said earlier, when I said that even if you weren't SPD anymore, you weren't leaving our lives."

"Wouldn't have it any other way," Jack replied, grinning.

"It's just weird without you there with us," he continued, surprising himself with the confession. "But we'll get used to it, I guess."

"Wow, Sky, I didn't know you cared so much," the former Red Ranger said jokingly.

His successor forced a laugh. _Oh, I do care, Jack. More than you think._ But that, of course, Jack would never find out.


End file.
